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Russian sumo wrestler arrested for possession of marijuana

It is being reported that Wakanoho Toshinori, a sumo wrestler belonging to the Magaki stable in Tokyo has been arrested for possession of marijuana.

Wakanoho apparently accidentally dropped his wallet on the street in late June, and when a passerby brought the wallet to a police box, officers discovered a suspicious-looking Russian-made cigarette inside it. The cigarette was found to contain 0.368 grams of marijuana, and the alien registration card that was also inside the wallet led the police straight to Wakanoho. When confronted with the evidence, he confessed that he had received the drugs “from a foreigner in Roppongi.”

Wakanoho, whose real name is Soslan Aleksandrovich Gagloev, was born in the Russian republic of North Ossetia-Alania and has been wrestling in Japan since 2005.

Edit: Since the incident in question took place when Wakanoho was not yet 20 years-old, he was still considered a minor under Japanese law at the time of the crime. It is illegal for the media in Japan to report the name of a minor suspected of a crime, and Kyodo’s English language report notes this fact. However, such reports reveal so much information about the suspect that it is impossible not to conclude that the man arrested was Wakanoho.

42 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - August 18, 2008 at 6:45 pm

Categories: Foreigners in Japan Tags: japan, russia, sumo

http://chirimotsumoreba.net Jordan

Wow.. This could mean the end of his career. That is a real shame, his brand of leap frog sumo was entertaining at times.
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Bad Wolf

I hope it is the end of his career and that he is deported. Good riddance.

Jack B

lol seriously?
http://chirimotsumoreba.net Jordan

I’m wondering why you are so bitter about this. Perhaps you are one of those Japanese that are angry about foreign wrestlers becoming forces to reckon with in your national sport?

Bad Wolf

Well, since Ama is my favorite rikishi I guess not.

http://chirimotsumoreba.net Jordan

So then why the blood lust for Wakanoho?

Anonymous

“Good riddance” for possessing a little bit of weed for personal use? There are crimes that inflict harm upon individuals and society, and there are crimes that are crimes because they are defined as such. This is clearly the latter.

I can respect a zero-tolerance policy on drugs (and I have never, and will never use any myself), but anything more than a stern warning and a suitable fine would be way out of proportion.

I would love to here your rationale for actually wanting to deport him Mr Wolf.

http://chirimotsumoreba.net Jordan

Interesting bit about his age and how it effects the reporting of this story. Thanks for the update James.

LB

Yes, except the Asahi story gives his name, and this morning’s Yomiuri also had his name printed, right in the headline. It looks like a fine line, he (allegedly) committed the offense at 19, but was 20 when he was arrested, or perhaps the papers just aren’t checking when his birthday was and are looking at the police reports of a 20 y.o. arrested.

Joe

Legalize it!

Bruce Smith

Sumo is legal.

morpheus

lol

Mister M

pretty sad!!
edwardhasnewgoggles

He has to keep the weight on somehow, let him have the munchies.
sireB

japan’s weed policy is the only think i truly can’t understand about this country.

it’s just fucking weed, people.
http://www.hormel.com VonSkippy

Wow, with such great police work, Japan (nay, the World) is a much safer place with pot-heads like that locked up (whew – there’s 1/3 of a gram of the devil weed off the streets).

On a side note – kids today – what type of moron stores his stash along with his PHOTO ID????

The Overthinker

This kind.

http://witzl.blogspot.com/ Mary Witzl

VonSkippy, you took the words out of my mouth.
ashredrum

Legalize the Marihootie, weeds hurts no one but the users brain cells. ciggs are worse anyways. rasta

Bruce Smith

Not true.

The Overthinker

Which part?

weirdo

Well, if you smoke near others…

1. Impaired judgment may cause you to act in a way that would inconvenience or hurt someone.

2. Second hand smoke.

Jake

0.3 grams of weed. I know I feel a lot safer now that this menace is off the streets!
Level3

Of course it’s vey probably his joint, but…

In other countries he could probably get away with claiming that it wasn’t his joint. He wasn’t actually caught redhanded. It was in a wallet that was out of his possession for how long?

The joint could have been put there at any time, by anyone:
Some crazed gaijin-hating sumo worker or stable mate could have stolen his wallet, planted the joint and left it to be “found” and turned in to the cops. The cops tehmselves could have planted it.

But yeah, this guy is an idiot.

Still, legalizing weed could be a great way to cut down on the ridiculously high stress levels and suicide rate in Japan.

Anonymous

Drugs aren’t the answer to solving high suicide rates and stress. I agree that anything beyond a slap on the wrist and a fine is unreasonable for this kind of minor “crime”, but encouraging people to escape their problems in a world of drugs is not the answer.

The Overthinker

Yeah, but if you’re caught with illegal weed then you get high stress levels and maybe even get tempted to commit suicide….
Level3

Alcohol seems to be popular with a lot of people, I don’t see marijuana as any worse than alcohol.

We aren’t talking about coke or smack, here.

Wonder if he actually felt a need to smoke just to work up his appetitie to be able to gorge on more chanko-nabe and get fat for the ring…maybe some of his stable-mates felt the need, too? But that’s just wild speculation.

Klauscore

Yes, exactly, I was wondering that as well. It sure helps to put on some pounds.

Another question that popped into my mind: So, big brother state had to take this “evil drug” away from him, because it is supposedly such a health hazzard, but it is ok for your health to be so overweight like you have to be for sumo?

Bogo

Although I don’t work in the police, almost half of my relatives are in the Force. I can tell you that legalization doesn’t solve the drug problem. Look at the Netherlands. Legalization turned a clean and safe country into a garbage land.

I hope that this wrestler will serve some jail time to see that the crime always has a legal punishment. Moreover, I would demand longer +10 year sentences for all drug offences, regardless of the amount or type.

The Overthinker

The Dutch might not be happy with you calling their country “garbage.” Without being a lot more specific, your comment just looks like a mindless rant.

Anonymous

“Look at the Netherlands.”

I’m Dutch, living in Japan. You have a really skewed perception of The Netherlands. Really, we have less of a drug problem than the US. By far. And even so, the (hard) drugs that do cause problems are illegal in The Netherlands you know.

Do you really think ruining someone’s life by sending them to prison for ten years is an adequate response to a “crime” that is as damaging to the “criminal” and his environment as smoking a cigarette? I hate second-hand smoke, but criminalising that is silly. (Although I support efforts of banning smoking from the workplace, which includes bars and restaurants. Smome outside if you want to smoke.)

Kevin

I don’t and never will use drugs, and I find the use of drugs pretty appalling but your post is equally horrific. 10+ years for drug use? That’s just ridiculous. A responsible drug policy means punishing the dealers, not the users – it’s very simple. It serves no greater purpose to society to fill prisons up with light drug offenders, and your idea of 10 years will simply expose people with minor offenses to hardened criminals.
Seriously, if you really think 10+ years is acceptable, why not just go the extra step and execute them? Police work is important to society, but wouldn’t you rather police look for dangerous people?
klauscore

You haven’t ever been to the Netherlands, have you? It’s actually a very nice and safe country (like Japan), and open-minded and tolerant (in contrast to Japan) as well. The coffee shops hurt nobody and even boost tourism.

Of course legalization of marijuana is the way to go. It eases an unnecessary burden on the legal system and creates no problems to speak of. Even if the propaganda (which I assume your relatives were fed) says something else: This is a quite harmless substance. Stoners hurt no one. Demanding jail time for the possession of marijuana is absurd.

Very recommendable movie: “Grass – the legal history of marijuana” narrated by Woddy Harelson.

Tommy

Netherlands is still a safe and clean country more than France Italia or UK!
morningstar

Give all sumo wrestlers a drug test.
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Russian sumo wrestler arrested for possession of marijuana

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